Draft gear



C. H. ToMLlNsoN j DRAFT l11111111 Filed June a, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1hamaca. 11,1927.

' UNi'r-sos'rArss A l -1,64s,4os PATENT oFFics.

(IHL'EIIBl TOHLINBON, 0l INSIIELD, OHIO, SSIGNO'B T0 THE TOHLINSON @ummm, 0I mFIELD, `9R10, A CORPORATION 0F' OHIO.'

:miamil am `.Application illed June 2, 19215.y Serial No. 84,320.

'My invention relates to draft4 gears for car Ycouplers andparticularly' that. type of draft gear which employs a buffer spring forvboth'tensiitm and compression. f

n The object of my invention is to provide a draft r having means toassist t e spring in resisting the tension and compression forces whichit is obliged to withstand, and

, to slow down the action of the draft gear "l and smooth out its oeration. With the present type of s ring raft gears when the gear is sumit case when two carsare bum d together or moved together if in a couped relation, the

l buer spring in the gear is compressed and the tendency is when thecompression. is released for -the spring to move' the parts .of the gearback to normal and-this usually happens with great rapiditydue toslackness 2 of `the parts after the compression is relieved, and thistends to roduce considerable noise and some shoe which is quite annoyingwhen the gears are used in connection with passen er coaches.

I have found if t ear is constructed so as to permit .the use o oilunder such conditions as to form a check, that I am able to smooth outthe operation of the gear and not only hel it to resist the compressionand a tension orces, but also prevent the spring from returni the partsto normal quickly, lbut compels t e parts to return to normal muchslower than when a buffer spring alone is employed.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination andrelation of the various parts herein fully described and shown in thedrawings accompanyingandl forming a part of this specification.

' 4 In the drawings:

gear together with an anchorage casting for securing the gear with theparts .in normal vposition to a car body.

Fig. 1 is a side view in section of my ,draft u Fi 2 is a horizontalsectional view of my [receive the stem 17 which projects from thevstem'15, and is secured thereto by a threaded/ `engagement 18. The stem17 has formed gear en on the line 2`2 of Fig. 1.

" Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my gear similar to that shown onrFig. 1,andsliows the relation of the parts ,when the gear is placed Y undercompression.

Fig. 4 is a view'in seaionsimiiar to Fig.

3 excepting showing the relation of the` parts whenthe gear is placedunder tension. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the 'line 5-5 OIIFLg.v3, t

- of the bolt holes 2 properly` disposed through to compression, asisthe In the preferred embodiment of 'my invention I provide an anchorageA provided with a base. plate ladapted to be attached to theunder-framing of a car body by means the member 1. Secured to thebase'plate 1` is av suspended ball-shaped member 3 which -1s secured tothe base plate 1 by means of the neck portion 4. The outer surface ofthe t member 3-is made spherical and I prefer to machine it to aspherical shape so as to `pro duce a smooth and true surface to receivethe socket members 5 and 6, which are provided with cooperating lugs 7and 8 respectively, and by means o which the clamping members 5 and 6,are held securely together upon the member 3 by the .bolts and nuts 9.

The inner surface of the members 5 and 6, which en ge the member 3, arealso preferably mac ined so as to give astrue a spherical surface aspossible so that the members 5 and 6 when secured in position upon themember 3 will have free relative movement' therewith. The adjacent'faces of the meinbers 5 and 6 are machined with an interlocking jointlOin order to give a tight fit between these parts to revent. the loss oflubricating materials as ater explained. In assembling the parts 5 and6, I may employ a material such as white lead upon the joint 10 in orderto assist informing a tight joint.

The 'anchorage A is provided `with an enclosed cavity 12 having twoenlarged porr contions connected b a passage 11'. venience in manuacture, the base member 1 has mening leading to the cavity 12 which iscl by a threaded plug 13.v vAlso leading to the cavity 12 is av pipe 14which'may have its opposite end lea ing to any convenient point ofaccess `and by means of which the luidmay be supplied to the in teriorof,l the anchorage A. Secured to the socket member 5 is` a projectingstem '-15 formed withl a longitudinal recess 16 therethrough and whichvis enlarged at one end to toward the shoulders and 21 by an interl-fr,11-

A posed spring 24. 'lhe collars 22 and 23 are as far as the constructionand adjustment of the gear will permit. The stem 17 is provided with alongitudinal passage which opens into the passage 16 and which hasbranch openings 26 leading to. the surface of the stem 17. The stems 15and 17 are prevented from rotating by means of the pin 27 engaging alongitudinal slot.

Surrounding the stems 15 and 17, or' portions thereof, is an enclosingmember 28 which is mounted in telescopically movable relation withrespect to the stems 15 and 17. The enclosing member 28 is provided witha projecting enclosing member 29 of reduced area and having a transversepartition 3() to close the end thereof. The diameter of the cavity inthe portion 29 is such as to receive the member 19 on the stem 17 inslidable relation thereto and the interior diameter of the enclosingmember 28 is such as to receive the collars 22 and 23 in slidablerelation thereto. The reduction of the cavity 31 to that of 32 forms ashoulder 33 against which may be positioned the collar. The innersurface of the enclosing member 28 is provided with a thread 34 toreceive the threaded bushing 35. This bushing is made with a sliding litrelative to the stem 15 and forms a shoulder 36 against which may bepositioned the collar 23. The bushing is provided with a plurality ofshallow recesses 37 arranged to receive a Spanner wrench which is usedin applying and removing the bushing 35 and for adjusting the distancebetween the shoulders 33 and 36.

Also surrounding the stem 15 and secured in sition by means of thethreads 34 is a bus ing 38 which is also provided with shallow recesses39 adapted to receive a Spanner wrench for application and adjustment of.the same. The screw 40 is used to prevent the rotation of the' bushing38 when properly lpositioned. The bushing -38 is recessed to `receive aU-shaped leather packing 41 to prevent the escape of liquid containedwithin the cavity 31. Projecting from the member l19 is a stem 42-andupon which is mounted a sleeve 43 which is recessed to receive a U-shaped leather packing 44 which also prevents the escape of li u1d fromthe cavity 31 into the cavity 32. he collar 43 is held in position onthe stem 42 by means of the nuts 45 Mounted in the longitudinal channel16 of the stem 15 is a check valve 46 normally held open by means of thespring 47, but

-which closes when liquid contained in` the chamber 31 tends to moveinto the cavity 12.l

The spring 47 is tensioned just enough to maintain the check valve open.

In assembling the parts, the collars 22 and 23 and the spring 24 may bepositioned u on the stem 17 and then the stems 15 an assembled to suchan extent as to bring the distance between the shoulders 20 and 21 whichwill place the required tension upon the spring 24. The assembled stems15 and 17, together with`v a packing 44, is then mounted within themember 28 and the bushing 35 is then screwed into position and soadjusted as to just meet the face of the collar 23 when the collar 22engages the shoulder 33. The bushing 38 with the packing 41 is thenplaced in position and locked. The check valve 46 may then bel ositionedif it has not already been place and the parts are ,then ready to mountupon the anchorage A.

It is understood that the member 29 is adapted to receive a couplinghead.

When the device has been installed u on a car liquid is placed withinthe various cavities by allowing the shame to flow through the pipe 14into the cavity 12 and from there to the cavity 16 through the orifice48, thence through the check valve and passages 25 and 26 into thecavity '31. The cavity 12 acts as a reservoir and also furnishes liquidto the spherical surfaces not only from the cavity 16, but through therecess 49.

In place of having the cavity 16 communieating with the cavity 12 theend of the cavity 16 adjacent the passage 48 may be permanently closed,as indicated by the dotted line 50 in Fig. 2, which represents the faceof a wall which may close the cavity 16 adjacent the anchorage A therebypreventing any communication from the cavity 12 into lon the cavity 31and in such case the check valve 46 would not be required. If desired,

however, to provide an oil or other liquid supply for the cavity 31 inexcess of that which the cavity will hold then the stem 15 may betapped, as indicated at 51 in Fig. 2,

to receive a connection to a separate reservoir mounted upon the car andthis connection would naturally be of a flexible character for'thereason that the draft gear moves about the ball anchorage. It is alsoevident that the member 28 ma also be tapped, as indicated at 52 inVreceive a connection to a reservoir mounted upon the car, and thisconnection would likewise be flexible and in the two lattermodifications where a reservoir is connected to the members 15 vand 28 acheck valve would be advisable adjacent the members V15 and 28 toprevent back pressure building up in the reservoirs or in theconnections, and these check valves may be of any of the variousstandard ty with which those skilled in theart are r.

position of the various parts other is shown in Figs. 1

the collar 22 moves the collar 22 toward the anchorage A therebyproducin the space 53 between the shoulder 20 and the collar 22.Likewise a space 54 has been produced between the collar 23 and theshoulder 36 and the collar 23 is butting against the shoulder 21. Undercompressive action the collar 23 is immovable for the reason that itbutts against the shoulder 21 on the stem l which is immovable, but thebushing 35 moves with the outer' telesco ic member 28, and, therefore,moves away om the collar 2 3 iroducing the aforesaid cavity 54.

ince the cavity 31 is filled with a liquid the sudden movement underimpact of the collar 22' toward the collar `23 will tend to reduce thespace 31 and this will tend to4 compress such fluid as is in the cavity31 and the tendency 'will b e for itv to-iowv to parts .where there isless resistance. Thecompressed fluid will tend to flow through thepassage 26' and passage 25 into the cavity 16 and thence into the cavity12, but .as

. this is undesirable, I have placed the check spectively valve 46 asdescribed and it will immediately close upon sudden-Howv of .fluid intothe cavity 16 thereby tending to maintain pressure within the .cavity31. Itis, however, desirable to permita certain amount of reduction vinluid pressure within the cavity 31 an'dthis may be brought about byvarious means, but Vone of the sim lest is that `ofproducing'suii'icient spaces etween the adjacent faces of the stein 17and the collars 22 and 23, and which I have indicated .as 55 and 5 6 resctively. The ra. idity with which theilui may flowl out of t e chamber'31 through the annular passages 55 and 56 will, ofcourse, depend uponythe close Isectional area of'these passages and the reduction ofpressure oi the liquid 'within the cavity 31 will begovernedaccordingly: The

fluid which ilows through the passages 55 and 5 6\ willenterfthercavties 53 and 54 re- -and orderthat the liow ma be quiteunobstruetedfa'fter flowing throng the passages 55'and 5611' laccaplurality of l indented grooves-f Tinft eface' of the col'- lars 22 and23 vand adjacentfthe shoulders 2O and 21 andthee a-jconnecting passagebetWeenitheipassages 55 and 56 and the'respectiecavitiefsfijd The spacebetween the ofthe col.

lars 22 and 23 and the inner wall of the member 28 I prefer to make areasonably close sliding iit so that very little duid will pass at thesepoints, therefore, the ventire amount of fluid flowing'from the cavity31 into the cavities 53 and 54 is regulated by the area of the annularpassages '55 and 56.

When the pressure is relieved after move ment of the members. 28-29 inthe direction of the arrow'in Fig. 2 if' the draft gear was of theordinary type in which the parts are returned to a normal position bymeans of a spring, then the partswould return quickly,

but in the construction which I have shown and described with the useofthe fluid in the chamber 31 and which has been caused to entirely fillthe chambers 53 and 54, the return of the parts to normal is not underthe control ofthe spring. 24 only, but is alsov controlled by the returnHow of the liquid from the chambers 53 and 54 into the chamber 31whichchecks a rapid return of the parts. The return rate ofl flow iscontrolled largelysby the tension in the spring 31 and j the -size ofthe annular passages 55 and 5.6. The kind of fluid used in the chamber31 will, of course, affect the rate of flow, but

having decided on the material to be used inthe chamber and the rate ofoperation of the parts under compression andtension,

Vthe annular openings 55 and 56 may be made according to fixed.standards which' are established through experiment.

If the parts are placed under tension so that the member 28-29 is movedin the direction'of the arrow in Fig. 4 with respect to the anchorage A,then the operation will be the same as described with respect .to Fig.

3 exce ting the collars 22'and-23 will form with te adjacent shoulders33 and 21 spaces 58 and 59 respectively.

It will be evident thatl the fluid contained lin the chamber 31 willcause the draft gear to act more slowl thany when the spring 31 .silvo1s used alone 'an will tend to increase the capacity of the draft gearover that of the spring. alone and also when tension or com.-

pression is relieved thegspring will not be able to return the partstofnormal with a quick action, but the time will be required or theparts to return to normal, depend# ing upon the openings 55 and 56.

The fluid in the chamber 31 if of a lubrii eating character will tendtodecreasel the capacity of the spring 24 .from its normal dry operatingca acity, but .the action of the ilui'din `the dra 'gear is'such that itwill more than make up for the lost capacityin the spring and at thesame time the s vring working .under a lubricating'uid wil last -inuchlonger than when working This is particularly true of the type' o'spring shown and which yis known 'as a friction .draft spring lin whichthe surfaces'l of the/ inner and louter coils Xand Y contact anddil.

bind upon each other Withincreasing friction as the compression of thespring increases.

The fluid in the chamber 31 may be a lubricating oil, preferably as neara zero temperature co-eilicient as possible, .or it may be glycerine orwater, or other suitable liquids, depending upon the properties required and conditions to be met.

- A draft gear constructed according to the disclosure herein has a veryhigh capacity and operates practically with no noise or jar as there issubstantially no lost motion in the same. y

It will be observed that I have described adraft gear in which a singlespring is used which operates under both tension and compression of thedraft gear and is compressed under every action of the gear.

The U leather packings 41 and 44 are preferably made of leather whichinsures long life, and I' nd is automatic in its action in preventingthe escape of fluid in that, the greater the pressure tending to forceliquid Y passed the pack joint the greater will be the tendency of theackin to resist such flow.

From the cavlty 324 provide 'a passage which will permit the drainage ofany fluid which might by chance enter the chamber 32.

Those skilled in the art will upon 'reading my disclosure have suggestedto them modifications which may be made and, therefore,

I do not wish to be limited other than byand having a receptacle thereincontainin 'my claims.

I claim:

i 1. A draft gear comprising a pair of telescopic members, oneof themembers forms ing an enclosure adapted to contain a liquid, a singleyielding member interposed between the said members to yieldingly holdthem in a redetermined position with respect to re ative longitudinalmovement in either direction and means cooperating with the fluid withinthe member to yieldingly resist the relative lon itudinal movement ofthe members in both irections.

2. A draft gear comprising an enclosing memberadapted to contain. afluid, a tele vscopic member positioned within the enclosin memberandmovable longitudinally reitive thereto, a spring mounted'on thetelescopic member and held inl position thereon by spaced means Withinthe enclosing member and Vwhose distance vapart is adjustable'to holdthe members in a normally predetermined position and 'means to i bringpressure upon the fluid within the enclosing member to resist relativelongitudinal movement of the members when external forcey tends to movethem longitudi and containing a passage leading from the enclosingmember, a single sprin tending to yieldmgly maintain the memers in apredetermined relative position, and yielding means acted upon by thefluid contained within the enclosing member upon a sudden longitudinalmovement of one ofthe members to close the passage and confine the fluidWithin the enclosing member toresist relative telescopic movement of themembers under an external force tending to move the members. 4

4. A draft gear comprising an enclosing member forming a receptaclecontaining a fluid and a telescopic member slidably mounted Within `.theenclosing member, a spring to yieldingly maintain and lock the membersin a predetermined relation and an auxiliaryv receptacle formed Withinthe enclosing member when the members move in either direction relativeLto each other and means to permit a restricted flow of the fluid fromthe main receptacle into the auxiliary receptaclesand vice versa.

5..A draft gear comprising an enclosing member forming a receptacle andcontaining a fluid and a telescopic member positioned within the recessfor relative longitudinal movement, av single spring interlocking themembers in 'a predetermined position but permitting relativelongitudinal movement in either direction and positioned within thereceptacle, means attached to one of the members to secure the draftgear to a car a fluid and a communication between sai receptacles, and acheck valve in the said communication to close when the members moverelative to each other to raise the uid pressure within the enclosingmember under said relative movement and yieldinglyrestrictrsaidmovement.

6. A draft gear comprising an enclosing member, `a telescopic memberpositioned Within the'- enclosing member and movable longitudinallyrelative thereto in either loo direction, a single spring yieldinglyinterlocking the members 1n a predetermined normal position butpermitting longitudinal movement of the members 'in either direction andacting to return the members to normal position after a movement of themembers in either direction and fluid pre'ssure means to retard thereturn action of the sprin but not preventit.

7 i draft gear comprising a housing member containing a fluid, spacedshoulders formed withinv the housing member, a stem member telescoically mounted in the housing member and having two shoulders positionedwithin the housing member, a collar to engageA each shoulder and spacedfrom one of the members, a spring inter osed between the collars tendingto move t em into and hold them in engagement with the Shoulders,

the uid within the housing arranged to flow through said space betweenthe collars and the members to restrict the movement of saidmembersfwhen the members move relative to each other from outsideiniiuence.

8. A draft gear comprising a housing,

'spaced' shoulders formed within the housing,

.an anchorage member Vto be secured to a car and having a ball terminalwith a chamber therein, means on the end of the stem to engage the ballmember and ,permit relative :novement in all directions, a passage throuli the stem communicating with the interior f the housing and a passagein the ball member communicating-withthe chamber in the ball and withthe passage in the stem, fluid .in the interior of the housing, thechamber in the ball and the passage between the interior of the housingandsaid chamber and a check valve to prevent the fluid within thehousing l lflowing into the chamber when the housing and stem moverelative to each other.

y 9. A coupler anchorage com rising a supporting member to be attache toa c ar and aving ceptacl'e with anopening. through which passes a neckconnecting the 'support and ing,

ball, secured to the ball and arrangedto permit freedom ofl movement ofthe socket relative to the-ball, a stem projecting from the socket andpositioned withina housing, a spring member 'interlocking the housing'and stemto compel compression of the s ring l when the housing and stemmove re ative to each other 'in either of two longitudinal`directions,`the stem having a passa e comminicatingy with the interiorof the ,ousing and the interior or the socket and means to prevent theflow of a `fluid through saidv passage in one direction only. v Y

10. A draft gear `comprising a housing, spaced shoulders formed withinthe housto move them into and normally hold them in engagement withtheir res ective shoul-l,

member and a telescopic member slidablyy ders', a stem mounted within-`At e housingfin telescopic relationto the parts, hollow means on the stemto secure the gear toa support,

the stem a passage communicating y a ball vat one end provided with aspherical surface, asocket forming a reacollar engaging each shoulder, aspring` linterposed betweenl `the .collars and tending with thelinterior of the lliollow,me'ans and the housing and shoulders on thestein to alternately engage the collars -depending upon the direction ofrelative movement of the stem and housing and to cause an increasedcompression upon the spring and means. to close communication throughthe passage in one direction but not the other direction.

1 1. A collar for a draft gear comprising a circular 'd1sc havingoppositely disposed faces and an outer peripheral surface to fit Withina draft gear housing adjacent to the interior surface thereof and acentral hole through the collar adopted to receive a stem and in spacedrelation thereto one of the f aces of the disc having passagesordepressions communicating with the space between the dlsc and the stem.i 12, A draft gear comprising a pair of telescopic members and onememberconstituting a housing adapted to contain a fluid, yielding means.to maintain the members in a normal predetermined position, packingstationary with respect to the housing to prevent leakage of the fluidat one end of the housing and packing st-ationary-with respect to theother .member to prevent leakage of the fiuid from the other end of thehousing.

13. A draft gear comprising an enclosing member adapted to contain anon-compressible fluid, a horizontally` movable telescopic memberpositioned within the enclosing member, means to secure one of themembers to an anchorage, a single spring Within the enclosing member toyieldingl lock and maintain the members in a pre etermined position, areceptacle having communication'. with the interior of the enclosingmember' and adapted to contain a fluid to act as a tsource of supply tothat within the enclosing member and means to cause the fluid within theenclosing member to yieldingly resist the relative horizontal movementof the members under an external force tending to move them.

member containing a fluid, a telescopic member vpositioned within theenclosing member andmovable iii-two directions from a normal position,means to secure one of the members to a car anchorage, means to securethe 4other member to a coupler head, a single yielding memberlinterposed' between the a oresaid members to lock and maintain themembers in a predetermined relation and return them to said relationafter relative movement'in either of two longitudinal directions fromtheir normal position.

15. `A draft gear lcomprising anenclosing mounted' within the enclosingmember, av

14. A draft gear comprising an enclosing l normally maintain a singlereceptacle Within the enclosing member containing la fluid, and means toform an auxiliary receptacle within the enclosing member when the inem-5 bers move in either direction and simultaneously decrease the capacityof the main receptacle as the capacity of the auxiliary receptacleincreases and a communicating passage from the main to the auxiliaryreceptacle of restricted but constant area as the telescopic membersmove relative to each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON.

